An Adept's Endless Journey
by EncLun
Summary: A powerful youkai's whims cause the life of an Adept to change forever. He will have to travel through many places, but is it all just for the youkai's amusement? Or does she have an ulterior motive?
1. Weyard, Prologue

**A/N: My first (and only) story in this site narrates the life of an OC I created. I'm not seeking any feedback, as it's a kind of private story I'm making up that revolves around multiple universes and has many, many time skips. If you wish to read this little story, go ahead, but don't expect many original ideas. x.x**

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><p><em><strong>Prologue<strong>_

Mt. Aleph, a dormant volcano situated at the center of Weyard. At its foot, the town of Vale resides.

All of Vale's houses sport a simple design: White walls, except for joists, doors and windows, which retained the natural color of the wood they were made of, and roofs covered with straw. The village itself is divided in various plazas, and a small river coming from Mt. Aleph goes through most of them, except the lower plaza, and then changes its course to the west, where the nearest edge of the continent is. In the lower plaza, there's a small lake with a set of rocks in the middle, with a taller, purple colored rock standing out above them. The entrance to the village is also on the lower plaza, but said entrance is always closed, for what the inhabitants think is a good reason.

Vale's residents hold a special power called 'Psychic energy', more commonly known as 'Psynergy'. It is an ability fueled by the spiritual power of the person's mind that allows one to conjure magic based on the four elements: Earth, Fire, Wind and Water. Those capable of using Psynergy are known as 'Adepts'. Thus, all the residents of Vale were Adepts. But, as far as they were concerned, the only Adepts in all Weyard were them, the residents of Vale. And for decades, they had been following strict rules regarding their abilities and their town. First, strangers couldn't be allowed into Vale. And second, Valeans couldn't use Psynergy in public during the rare times when they _did_ have visitors, which usually were mostly merchants, or when a Valean went outside of town, something that barely anyone did, despite the rules never specifying anything about the matter.

One day, however, an old man from outside arrived and settled down in Vale. Why was he allowed to stay? And what could he be looking for? The town's elder would have a meeting with the rest of Vale the day after to answer these questions. But those answers would only raise even more questions on the mind of a certain young man, and it would prompt him to pay a visit to this new resident. Little did he know of the events that would unfold because of his curiosity...

* * *

><p>"...And that's why he will be staying in our village." The elder concluded. He had gathered most of Vale's residents in the lower plaza, except for the children and, of course, the old man. The latter was now in one of the upper plazas, getting used to his new home.<p>

"But..." A brown haired man started. "Didn't he tell you he wanted to study Sol Sanctum?"

The elder nodded, stroking his long, white beard as he recalled the old stranger's words. "Indeed he did, Kyle." He answered. "But I assure you, he means no harm to Mt. Aleph's shrine. However, that doesn't mean we'll let him enter Sol Sanctum just like that."

"Will you have a meeting with the Great Healer?" The man, Kyle, asked. The Great Healer resided in a small chapel in the highest plaza of Vale, the place nearest to Sol Sanctum.

The elder nodded once more. "We will discuss the matter of letting him enter the shrine. Even if we decide to let him in the end, it will most likely be just very brief visits, and never without escorts." After a pause, he continues. "If you wish to tell your son, Kyle, go ahead. The same goes for everyone else." A few families nodded and made acknowledging sounds as response. After that, the elder turned around and left for the chapel, the only audible sound for a moment being the soft rustling of his green robes.

Kyle and a blonde woman, presumably his wife, returned to their home, as did everyone else. One young man, however, stood still by the lake, while a man and a woman waited for him.

The younger one was wearing an orange shirt and brown jeans, as well as red shoes. His spiky, blond hair barely moved by the blowing of the wind as his brown eyes darted from where the elder had gone to where the new resident was. Though he had only turned 17 about five months ago, he was quite tall, and had been allowed to attend the elder's meeting.

"Aren't you coming, dear?" The woman asked. Her orange clothing matched the clothes of the man beside her, who had red hair in a similar fashion to the boy in front of them, and brown eyes. The woman's hair was a beautiful blond color, matching her amber eyes.

The young man finally looks at the couple, which he identified as his parents. "Um, I was thinking of seeing how that new resident was like..." He trails off as his eyes flicker with uncertainty.

"Only if you really wish to do it." This time, it was his father who had talked. "You've grown up enough to make your own decisions, haven't you?" The boy looks at his father to see a smile on his lips.

He nods at his father, more determined than before. However, instead of replying, he just gazes at where the stranger's house should be. It couldn't be seen from there, as the upper plazas stood in high cliffs that could only be accessed through stairs made of stone that connected one plaza to the next.

"...Just go ahead and do what you have to do." His mother eventually says. "We'll go home and wait for you." The boy smiles and nods at them, running off to the upper plazas.

* * *

><p>The old man's house wasn't in one of the main plazas. They had given him a house that stood west from the second highest plaza, partially hidden by a few trees, but it seemed that the old man didn't mind taking residence in that house.<p>

The young man thought about this as he made his way to the house and knocked on the door. As it opened, the resident greeted the visitor with a smile.

"Oh, what can I do for you?" The old man asked.

He wore a blue shirt partially covered by a brown piece of cloth over his shoulders. Attached to the cloth was a white cape that reached down to his legs. A similar material with two different shades of brown covered anything below his torso completely, tied to his waist by two cotton sashes, one red, the other yellow. The scrolls and books in his house, coupled with the clothes he sported, indicated that the aged man was a scholar. His white hair and beard, proof of the decades his body had experienced. Despite that, his blue eyes, partially hidden behind his glasses, showed great vigor and determination.

"Uh, I kinda wanted to ask you ask you a few things, mister..." The boy begins.

"Kraden." The old man finishes for him. "Call me Kraden. If you wish to talk, you can come in, if you want." He motions for the boy to enter.

"Thanks." The boy accepts, entering the house. Like all other houses in Vale, the design of its inside was pretty simple. The walls and floor weren't painted; like the joists one could see from outside the house, they conserved the natural color of the wood they were made of. As the boy entered the house, there were wooden tables at both sides, fitting below the windows and filled with various scrolls and books. On the opposite wall, the boy could see a chimney and stairs leading to a second floor. But what caught his attention the most was what seemed like a brown, semicircular piece of furniture in the middle of the room. Upon closer inspection, he noted that it had a couple of metal tubes behind it that connected to the floor, as well as two perfectly round holes that expelled light and heat from inside.

"Hey, is that a... forge?" The young man asks doubtfully. The shape was slightly off from what he remembered a forge looked like, though.

"Hmm?" Kraden walks up to the boy after closing the door, following his gaze to the furnace. "Oh, I guess it does look like one, doesn't it?" He chuckles softly. "It's not the kind that a smith would use, but function-wise, it's basically a forge. I was thinking of having one of these built in the house after moving in, but I'm glad to see that the house already had one. What impresses me the most is that it's exactly the type of furnace I need for my studies." His voice denotes happiness as he looks at the forge, then turns to his visitor. "Would you be so kind as to tell me who lived here before?"

The boy took a moment to recall what he knew about the house before Kraden arrived. He remembered seeing it from afar a couple times when he was a few years younger, playing with other kids. However, he never really got to see anyone coming in or out of the house, and the thought of seeing it for himself never crossed his mind. He shakes his head at Kraden. "I'm afraid I can't. This house has been empty since before I was born."

"Is that so?" Kraden blinks a few times, as if wondering about something. "How old are you, anyway?"

"Uh, I'm seventeen." The young man replies.

"Hoho, I see. You certainly look older." Kraden's eyes widen a bit after a moment. "Oh, please excuse me, I tend to ramble a bit sometimes. I should be the one answering questions here, not making them."

"Ah, it's alright." The boy says. "I kinda came here without warning, after all."

The two laugh heartily for a while. Kraden turned out to be more friendly than the boy had thought at first.

"So, what exactly did you want to know from me?" Kraden eventually asked his guest.

"Well, um... Now that you ask, I'm not sure of where to start." The young blond scratches the back of his head awkwardly. "Is it true that you want to study Sol Sanctum?"

"I do." Kraden nods. "As you probably noticed, I'm a scholar. I, like many other scholars under the service of my lord, am dedicated to studying Alchemy."

"The combined force of the four elements..." The boy mutters. "Earth, Fire, Water and Wind... Combinations of these give shape to everything around us... I read that once in a book my father bought me when he travelled outside of Vale."

"And a very accurate book that was." Kraden smiles. "Indeed, Alchemy is known to be the force that gives shape to all of Weyard. Yet, the concept of Alchemy itself still holds many secrets. That's one of the reasons why my studies brought me here."

"But... why Sol Sanctum?" The young man asks. Sol Sanctum was a shrine that went deep within Mt. Aleph, revered as a sacred place by Valeans for many decades, or so he had been told. But he failed to see the connection between Sol Sanctum and Alchemy.

"Before continuing, please allow me to ask you something." Kraden's eyes observed the blond boy with some kind of expectation. "Are you an Adept?"

"Wha-? I..." The young man hadn't expected such a question, and didn't know whether he should answer it or not. _'Kraden's not a stranger anymore. He's now a resident of our village, so why not tell him? And besides, if he knows what an Adept is, there's no use in trying to hide it from him.'_ After giving a mental nod to his own thoughts, he answered. "Yeah, I am." Truthfully, he still wasn't sure of exactly _what_ kind of Adept he was. Those who were born Adepts traditionally had a specific alignment with one of the four elements, meaning their Psynergy was mostly restricted to one kind of element-based Psynergy. Those aligned with Earth were called Venus Adepts; Mars Adepts were proficient with the Fire element; Wind Psynergy users were known as Jupiter Adepts; and Mercury Adepts were those talented with Water. The boy, however, had only begun to learn how to use Psynergy about a year ago, but he had showed equal prowess with both Earth and Fire Psynergy. He really couldn't think of an explanation for that.

The scholar nods slowly. "Just as I thought. And if my studies are on the right track, everyone else in Vale is an Adept as well, are they not?"

"Yes." The Adept replies.

"And as you probably know, the only Adepts born in this region are Valeans. That's why Vale has strict rules regarding strangers such as me." Kraden continues.

The boy just nods. Kraden certainly knew a lot about Vale for someone coming from outside. _'Maybe that's part of being a scholar.' _He ponders.

"Now, why do you think Adepts are born here in the first place?" Kraden asks.

"Uh..." The young Adept crosses his arms, trying to come up with an answer. How should he know that?_ 'Wait, Alchemy is composed by the four elements. And if we Adepts are born with certain affinities to those elements...' _His eyes widen with realization. "Could it be that Adepts are born in places where Alchemy is most concentrated?"

Kraden nods energetically. "Exactly! However..." He calms down a little. "...that doesn't quite answer my question. What could be the reason for Adepts to be born _here_?"

After blinking a few times, the young man lets out a soft gasp. "You mean..."

"Yes." The scholar nods again. "Mt. Aleph, or more specifically, Sol Sanctum. It's a fact I've been able to confirm together with my fellow scholars after years of studying Alchemy. In this continent - no, in _all_ of Weyard - the place acting as the biggest focal point of Alchemy is somewhere within Mt. Aleph." He smiles at his guest. "And the inhabitants of Vale are living proof of my studies."

"I-I see..." The Adept mutters. "So _that's_ why you want to study Sol Sanctum...?"

"In a way, yes. I have some more... personal reasons, but I'd rather keep those to myself." Kraden smiles sadly. "I'm sorry."

The boy shakes his head. "It's alright, I wouldn't trust my secrets to someone I just met, either." After a pause, he continues. "So, when do you plan on going to Sol Sanctum?"

Kraden sighs at the question. "I'm sure the elder won't allow me to study it for quite some time. After all, I'm still a stranger according to Vale's rules. But, until I'm allowed to enter Sol Sanctum..." He aims a smile at his guest. "Maybe I could persuade you to show me around your town?"

"Sure, I don't see why not." The Adept nods.

They exit Kraden's house and start walking towards the nearest plaza. As they walk away from the house, however, Kraden stops, causing the boy to glance back at him.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name."

The young man smiles nervously at Kraden's statement. "Ah, I completely forgot about that." He extends his hand for a handshake. "My name is Lune."

Kraden gives the Adept a firm handshake and a smile. "Pleased to meet you, Lune." After that, Lune and Kraden resumed walking as the Adept started showing the scholar around Vale.

* * *

><p>To be continued...<p>

Lune was created by EncLun.

Golden Sun belongs to Camelot and Nintendo.


	2. Weyard, Chapter 1

**A/N: Like I said on the prologue, this story will have many time skips. The first chapter begins with one. I'm sorry if this confuses whoever reads this, but it's something needed to help move the story along. You'll understand why in later chapters.**

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 1: The secret of Tolbi's ruler<strong>_

Two months have passed since Kraden settled down in Vale.

In a normal year, Lune would have noted few changes during the course of those months. He had grown a few inches taller; spent time playing with the neighbours' children and still enjoyed every moment of it, regardless of most of the kids being at least five years younger than him and his own height making him stand out amongst them; and, as of last year, he had also trained his recently newfound power to use Psynergy.

A normal year in Vale didn't signify much more than that to him, but he was glad to be like this.

That's how everything would be, if it had been a normal year.

The fact that someone from outside, Kraden, had arrived to Vale a couple months ago and become a resident wasn't something that happened every day. In fact, it had _never_ happened as far as he could remember. Now, even though the most skeptical didn't quite trust the scholar yet, most of the Valeans had opened up to him over the course of those two months.

Lune's mind reflected on all those things as he came out of his house and started making his way to Vale's entrance, down in the lower plaza.

He also found himself thinking about those times when he visited Kraden just to talk, or maybe learn more about where he came from.

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><p><em>"Where I come from?" Kraden repeated the question he had been asked. He closed the book he had been reading and put it back on one of the shelves in his house.<em>

_"Yeah." Lune nodded, proceeding to imitate the scholar. "'I, like many other scholars under the service of my lord, am dedicated to studying Alchemy'. That's what you told me a few days ago, remember?" The Adept grins. "If you're under the service of someone, you must've lived somewhere else before, right?"_

_Kraden chuckled at Lune's impersonation. "Hoho, I guess I let that one slip. Quite sharp, Lune." After a pause, he continued. "I come from a big city southwest from Vale, across the Karagol Sea, named Tolbi."_

_"Tolbi?" Having lived in Vale all his life, Lune didn't know anything about other places aside from his hometown._

_"It is regarded as one of the largest and most prosperous towns in all of Weyard." Kraden continued. "That's where my lord is. He's also the ruler of Tolbi."_

_"He's the ruler of the city?" The Adept's eyes widened slightly. "That would mean he has the same status as Vale's elder, right?"_

_The scholar nodded. "Yes, I believe they have similar roles in their respective towns. But..."_

_"...But what?" Lune asked._

_Kraden sighs in response. "Nothing, it's just that my lord has some peculiar ways of performing his duty as a ruler, according to rumors around Tolbi."_

_"What do you mean?" The Adept asked again._

_"Let's just say some of his actions make people in Tolbi see him as a bit of a tyrant sometimes." Kraden explains. "Let me provide you with an example..." He makes a short pause, then resumes his speech. "I was born in a poor village somewhere in Angara, but the ruler of Tolbi, Lord Babi, took me away from my parents when I was barely four years old."_

_Lune stood in shock. "Whoa, that's just not right!"_

_The scholar just smiled slightly. "Of course, he did it for a reason. You see, even when I was just four, he said I proved to have a great degree of intellect. That's why he took me under his care. In Babi's palace, I was educated to become a scholar."_

_"But..." Lune began. "What about your family?"_

_Kraden shrugged at the question. "I don't remember anything about them. I guess that's why I never gave it much thought. In any case..." He wore another smile. "I'm glad to be a scholar. I wouldn't trade the study of Alchemy for anything else."_

_"However..." Lune crossed his arms in thought. "I guess such actions didn't give tolbians a good opinion on him. Is that right?"_

_"Indeed." Kraden nodded. "Most of the townsfolk see his actions as amoral. I think only a few of my scholars know his true motives."_

_"Which would be...?" The Adept raised an eyebrow._

_"That's something that will have to wait for another time." Kraden grinned. "We should get going to Kyle's place now. I told him we wouldn't be late."_

_"Oh, I almost forgot about that." Lune chuckled nervously, then accompanied Kraden out of his cottage and on to Kyle's house._

* * *

><p>"Ah, there you are!"<p>

A familiar voice breaks Lune out of his reverie. It seems he had reached the lower plaza without noticing while he was reminiscing about his conversations with Kraden.

"Come on, everyone's waiting!"

Now a younger voice calls for him. Looking up ahead, Lune sees many of the villagers reunited in front of Vale's entrance. One of the kids, the same that called for him, was waving his hand energetically at him. His spiky red hair alone was almost more noticeable than his hand waving, Lune thought with a smile.

A girl with a darker shade of red hair approaches the boy calling for Lune and gives him a smack on the back of his head. "You're too loud, Garet." She says, crossing her arms afterwards.

"Ouch!" The boy, Garet, reaches for the back of his head after the smack. "You didn't have to hit me for that, Jenna..." The only response from the girl is a playful giggle. Her hair, nicely tied into a ponytail, sways to a side as Jenna turns her head towards Lune, who had found his parents among the villagers and given them a hug during her short exchange with Garet.

"Be careful out there, alright?" Lune's mother pleads.

"I will, don't worry." He nods, giving her a second hug.

"Did you talk with Kraden about the route you'll be doing?" His father asks after a moment.

"I did." Lune says, pulling away from the hug. "But I was going to confirm it once more before the trip."

The response makes his father smile. "Wise choice, Lune. One must be careful not to forget the route on a planned trip." He pulls out a rolled up piece of paper and hands it to his son. "Remember to check the route on this map often."

"Thanks, dad." Lune gladly takes the map with a smile.

"By the way, uh..." His father's glance seems to go past Lune's shoulder. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

After glancing behind him, Lune notices there's nothing there. _'Wait... I think I _did_ forget something.'_ A sweatdrop rolls down Lune's cheek as he looks at his parents. "I forgot to pick up my backpack..." He states, smiling awkwardly. One could almost picture ellipses forming above the group of villagers representing the silence that followed the forgetful Adept's sentence.

"Don't worry, I'll go get it." His mother eventually offers herself, walking back to their house.

Seconds after she leaves, Lune feels a tug on his shirt. "Huh...?" He looks down and sees Jenna, the same girl from before, now bringing another boy with her, who had brown hair. "My brother wants to talk to you!" Jenna says, smiling as she prompts the boy to step forward. Lune crouches to meet his eyes.

"What is it, Felix?" He asks Jenna's brother.

The boy avoids eye contact for a moment, instead of replying right away. "Um..." He eventually looks at Lune through a few strands of his slightly long hair. "...Please, do come back safely."

The Adept smiles and pats the boy's head. "I'll be back before you know it, I promise."

The gesture and his words manage to bring a smile, albeit not devoid of uncertainty, to Felix's face. "...Thanks, Lune." The youngster then runs off to where Jenna is; the girl had separated from the two in the blink of an eye and was again discussing something with Garet.

Just when he's about to stand back up, Lune notices another boy running up to him. The Adept smiles and remains in that crouching position, waiting for the boy, whom he recognized as Kyle's son. The boy had his father's blue eyes and his mother's blond hair, Lune thought as the boy stopped in front of him.

The young one took a moment to catch his breath before talking. "...Ah... *pant* I thought I wouldn't... be here in time... *pant* to see you off..." He mutters while gasping for air.

"Did you come running all the way from your house, Isaac?" Lune asks.

The boy nods. "I forgot that your trip was today. I only remembered a short while ago... Sorry."

The Adept pats his head. "No need to apologize. No one is perfect." He says. "I actually forgot my own backpack when I was coming down here before, you know?"

"Ah, really?" Isaac asks, tilting his head.

"Yeah." Lune nods. "I won't be going anywhere until Mother comes back with my backpack. And I still need to talk with Kraden anyway." He points in the direction Felix had gone to earlier. "I think Felix could use your help over there. A certain pair of redheads might be causing trouble."

"Garet and Jenna again, huh?" The boy grins. He and Felix were used to dealing with their antics. "I better go there soon, then."

Isaac starts walking away in the direction Lune had pointed to, but he suddenly stops and turns back to look at the Adept. His expression had a hint of sadness.

"Isaac? What's the ma-?" Lune was cut off when the boy went up to him and threw his little arms around his neck. He stayed like that for a while.

"...We will miss you." Isaac finally whispered. "Playing with the others won't be the same without you."

Lune's initial surprise melted into a warm smile as he returned the embrace. Felix, Jenna, Garet, Isaac... Each had their own way of expressing it, but all of them would miss Lune once he was gone. And, maybe it was because of how much he loved to play with Vale's children, to spend time with them, to laugh with them... but Lune knew he would miss the foursome. A lot.

"I won't be gone forever." Lune says softly. "I know you guys will miss me, but you must be strong until I come back." He pulls back from the hug just enough to look at Isaac in the eyes. "Just be strong. Be strong for yourself and strong for your friends, and I'll be back sooner than you think. Can I ask you to do that?"

Isaac nods, smiling brightly at the idea of seeing the Adept again. "Yeah, I'll be strong!"

Lune pats his shoulders in response, now slightly grinning. "Good, now go use that inner strength to help out Felix. He can't deal with his sister and Garet on his own."

"Alright!" With that, Isaac lets go of Lune and runs off, cheerfully waving back at him. "Thank you, Lune!"

"You're welcome!" He waves back, standing up again.

He spent the rest of the time chatting with other valeans until his mother returned with his backpack. After thanking her for bringing it, Lune started checking its contents.

_'Let's see... a tent, a few spare clothes, some food supplies and a bag of coins to buy anything I might need on the way... and Kraden's scrolls.' _He mentally lists each of the items and puts them back inside. _'Now I just have to speak with Kraden.'_

Said scholar was away from the main group at the entrance, looking at the small lake in the center of the plaza, or more specifically, at the purple colored rock standing out in the center - a rock known in Vale as the Psynergy Stone. Kraden only turned away from it to look at Lune when he approached him.

"Found it more interesting than usual?" The blond Adept asks with a grin. Kraden was still forbidden from entering Sol Sanctum, but no one seemed to raise objections against him studying the Psynergy Stone. This rock was well known in Vale for being capable of restoring an Adept's energy when they had used too much Psynergy by simply having the Adept touch its surface. In fact, Lune himself had made use of it quite a few times when practicing his abilities.

Kraden shook his head at the question. "I was just thinking about what we know and what we've still yet to discover about Alchemy." He glances at the purple rock, then looks up at the imposing mountain that Vale had been built at the foot of. "Did you know that the Psynergy Stone is said to have come from inside Mt. Aleph when it was active?"

"Yeah." Lune nods. Mt. Aleph had been inactive for decades, but according to some stories, the volcano spewed out a boulder that crashed on the ground and made a small crater, which was now the same lake in front of the two. The boulder's exterior eventually fell off due to wind's erosion, and the only thing standing was its core: the Psynergy Stone. Some are even inclined to believe that Mt. Aleph ceased its activity after that.

"If the stories behind the Psynergy Stone's origin are true..." Kraden continues, smiling hopefully. "...then I can safely assume that visiting Sol Sanctum shall prove very fruitful for my studies."

"And here I thought you'd already know what to expect from Sol Sanctum since the moment you settled down here." Lune chuckles, as does the scholar shortly after.

"I only know what I've confirmed over all these years of being a scholar. But you're not here to hear me ramble again, are you?" Kraden asks rhetorically. "Do you have everything ready for the trip?"

"I do." The Adept says, pointing at his backpack. He then proceeds to open the map his father had given him. "I wanted to confirm the route once more."

"Ah, of course." Kraden nods. Lune hands him over the map and the scholar starts looking for Vale, pointing it out once he finds it. "Here's Vale. The only road from here goes south, then east." His finger follows the route until he reaches a blue line that seemed to block the path. "There's a river here, and at this point there would be a bridge to cross over. After that, you will find that the road splits in two directions, north and south." His finger moves down, following the road until he reaches a black dot on the map, signaling a village. "Going south, you will find Vault. There's an inn where you can stay for the night." His finger starts moving to the right. "Going west, you should cross over another river and keep following the same road." After passing by the river, his finger kept following the route, which made a 'C' shape and then continued south. "After crossing a third bridge, you would reach Kalay after a few days if you follow the same direction." He stops again at another black dot, though this one looked bigger than Vault's. "Of course, there's another inn there where travellers can stay." He then points to a rather large mass of water not far from Kalay. "Lastly, there's the Karagol Sea." He points to the shore closest to Kalay. "You can buy a ticket at the Kalay docks for a boat trip across the sea..." He points to the opposite shore, where a third black dot is. "...and reach Tolbi. The ship would take about four days to reach it." He gives back the map to the Adept.

"Hmm..." Lune revised the route one last time before nodding. "Alright, so the first village would be Vault, then Kalay, and finally Tolbi. It shouldn't be hard." He rolls up the map and puts it in his backpack as the two walk towards the group in Vale's entrance.

"If this old man could do that trip from Tolbi, surely a young lad like you can do it as well." Kraden comments, chuckling.

Soon, Lune had said his 'goodbye's to all the villagers and was ready to depart. He stood by the now open entrance to Vale while everyone else was grouped between him and the Psynergy Stone's lake. The elder had stepped ahead to say a few words.

"There's not much else to be said, but do remember to keep your Psynergy in check." He says.

"I know, I know." Lune replies. "People from outside must not know about us Adepts because they can't use Psynergy, right?"

The elder nods. "Exactly, Lune." He steps back to the group of Valeans. "We all hope you have a safe trip." Various nods and sounds of approval come from the villagers.

The Adept smiles. "Alright, I should be going now." He turns and heads outside Vale as he waves goodbye. "Farewell!"

Just as he was about to focus on the long road ahead of him, Garet came out of the crowd, stopping right at the entrance while waving at him.

"Remember to bring us something from that place you're visiting!"

Jenna soon joined Garet in bidding farewell to Lune.

"Don't listen to him, he just wants you to bring him food~!" She giggles as Garet pouts.

Next to her came her brother, Felix.

"Come back soon so we can play together again!"

Lastly, Isaac made his way to Garet's side.

"Please, don't do anything reckless!"

Lune smiles warmly at the four as he walks away. "Don't worry, I will come back! I promise!"

Soon, a hill blocks his view of Vale, so he instead focuses on the route ahead of him. As he walks, he starts thinking about the reason why he left Vale. The main reason was because Kraden had asked him to do something in Tolbi...

Before he starts daydreaming again, however, a small rock in the road snaps him back to reality by making him trip and fall to the ground.

"Ow." He mutters, getting up again. "That ought to teach me not to daydream while I'm walking."

* * *

><p><em>"W-Wha...!" Lune shouted in shock. "Your lord has lived <em>that_ much!"_

_"Indeed." Kraden nodded. "He has lived for about 150 years."_

_"But..." Lune replied, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea. "Is that even possible?"_

_Kraden nodded again. "He has aged very slowly since he took me under his wing. That is because of a mystic draught he got from a faraway land called Lemuria."_

_"Lemuria?" Lune asks._

_"Yes. It is said to be one of the ancient civilizations from the times when Alchemy flowed freely around the world." Kraden explains. "Nowadays, those civilizations have disappeared, but it seems that Lemuria still exists somewhere in the Great Eastern Sea."_

_According to the map Lune's father had back at their house, the Great Eastern Sea was actually a huge ocean that lied east of the Angara continent, as well as other continents south from Angara, like Gondowan or Indra. It seemed to be the largest body of water in all of Weyard. Lune recalled having seen a gray colored area in the center of the Great Eastern Sea when he saw his father's map. It represented an area that was always covered in fog, an unexplored portion of the sea._

_"Could Lemuria be in that part of the Eastern Sea...?" Lune trailed off, but Kraden caught on quickly._

_"Ah, you must mean the Sea of Time, that place in the middle of the ocean." The scholar said._

_"So it's called Sea of Time?" The Adept asked._

_"That's correct. Lord Babi said that he found Lemuria inside that sea." Kraden said._

_"Wow..." Lune muttered. "And he has lived that long thanks to a draught he got from there?"_

_"Indeed." Kraden nodded. "Lemurians are said to age very slowly thanks to the water from that city, which contains part of the essence of Alchemy."_

_"So, this mystic draught he brought from Lemuria had that same essence?" Lune asked._

_"Precisely. However, that draught he brought with him from Lemuria is running out." Kraden said._

_"Oh..." Lune muttered. "But, can't he return to Lemuria and get more of that draught?"_

_The scholar shook his head. "It's not that easy, Lune. You probably don't know about it, but the Sea of Time is known for being extremely dangerous to navigate through. The whole area is very foggy, and the rapid currents form many whirlpools that could crush most ships against the rock formations spread around it."_

_"That... sounds like a really dangerous place, yeah." Lune chuckled nervously. Then, he came to a realization. "But, if the Sea of Time is so dangerous... how could Babi find Lemuria and come back to tell the tale?"_

_"That is a very good question, my friend. Unfortunately, I don't know how he accessed Lemuria, but I do know how he was able to leave." Kraden said. "He used a Lemurian ship to exit the Sea of Time."_

_Lune expected to hear something more, but when he didn't, he asked the scholar. "Is there something special about Lemurian ships?"_

_"Exactly." Kraden nodded. "You see, ancient civilizations like Lemuria were known for possessing advanced technology based on Alchemy. My lord could confirm this when he saw their ships. They are resilient enough to sail through the Sea of Time without risk of suffering damage."_

_"Wow, that's really impressive!" The Adept exclaimed, wondering what the ships would look like. But, before letting his mind wander off, he formulated another question to get back on topic. "But, if Babi has the means to go back, why didn't he return to Lemuria?"_

_"Well..." Kraden began. "As you may have guessed, living 150 years wouldn't have a good effect on Babi's body if his draught runs out, so he's not physically capable of sailing through the Sea of Time himself. However, that's far from being the only issue at hand." The scholar closed his eyes. "Since the Lemurian ships possess a technology based on Alchemy, they can only be used by someone with the means to manipulate the forces of Alchemy."_

_"Ah..." Lune muttered. He could see where this was going. "You mean...?"_

_Kraden nodded, opening his eyes again. "Yes, an Adept. Lord Babi had the chance to learn a bit about Psynergy during his stay in Lemuria; enough for him to be able to use a Lemurian ship. But alas, there is no one in Tolbi who can use Psynergy, so he can't send anyone to find Lemuria in his place."_

_"Oh..." Lune frowned sadly. "I wish I could help your lord somehow..."_

_The scholar shook his head, smiling. "Don't worry, it's alright. He's very resourceful, so I'm sure he will come up with something eventually." After a pause, Kraden's face brightened up. "Though, there_ is _something that could help my lord-"_

_"What? What is it?" The Adept instantly jumped up._

_Kraden went to the table where he kept most of his scrolls and some books, then took a couple of scrolls. He showed them to Lune. "I wrote a summary of what I advanced so far in my studies here in Vale. My lord will have to see these, but I can't leave Vale right now, so..."_

_"Hmm..." After being handed the scrolls, Lune opened one of them. But the various formulas and complex descriptions depicted there almost made him dizzy, so he rolled it up again. "So, do you want me to give them to him in your place?"_

_"I'm sorry for asking you this, but I don't think I can ask anyone else..." Kraden bowed apologetically. "I was pondering if I could ask Kyle about it, but-"_

_"I will go." The Adept nodded._

_"...Eh?" Kraden blinked, slightly taken aback by the quick response. "Really?"_

_"Yep. Kyle's been a little busy with his family lately, and my father has been outside a few times before, so I'm sure he'll let me go to Tolbi." Lune said confidently._

_Kraden let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you, I'm sure my lord will be very grateful for this as well."_

_"I'm glad to help a friend." Lune just grins at the scholar. Still carrying Kraden's scrolls, he went towards the door. "I'll go tell my parents now. If everything goes alright, I will be leaving the day after tomorrow."_

_"But wait, do you know which route leads to Tolbi?" Kraden hastily asked._

_"No, but that's why I'm leaving in two days, instead of tomorrow. I'm counting on you to tell me how to reach Tolbi first thing in the morning." With that, Lune opened the door and exited Kraden's cottage. "See you tomorrow!"_

_Kraden could only watch from his house's entrance as Lune dashed away to the central plaza of Vale. "Ah, youth... how I wish I had their energy." He mutters to himself, chuckling softly._

_After glancing at the sky, he saw a familiar reddish color in it, indicating that the sun was setting. "Oh, and it's already evening. I should prepare for tomorrow." Kraden went back inside the cottage, closing the door behind him._

* * *

><p>Lune awakens in a small room. That had been a dream about one of his last conversations with Kraden before all this trip had begun, he thinks as his eyes scout his surroundings.<p>

The room, small as it was, didn't have much space for extra furniture, so it only housed the essentials: a night table and the bed he had been sleeping on. The walls, ceiling and floor were all made of the same wooden material. The wood planks seemed to come from the same tree variety as well, which gave out a certain sense of harmony for its uniform brown color; not too bright to be a strain in the eyes, and not too dull to look boring. His belongings were all neatly stored in his travelling backpack, which was leaning against the wall nearest to the night table.

He recognized the room as the same he had been staying in for the past three days on a ship sailing through the Karagol Sea towards Tolbi. He soon gets out of his dark blue pajamas and puts on his usual clothes after fetching them from his backpack, then leaves his room and goes up on deck. The ship itself was fairly big, with an impressive mast at the center holding the sail. Since the wind had been favorable during all of yesterday and part of the day before so far, the rowers at the lower decks below the passengers' rooms, that usually had the task of making the ship sail towards its destiny, had been given a well-deserved rest and were simply talking among themselves or with the few passengers that were aboard.

For a ship that big, it was odd for Lune to see it with so few passengers, so he had eventually asked one of the sailors on the second day. It seemed there was a specific day of the year when a popular competition was held at Tolbi, named Colosso. On the days prior to the competition, there were always a lot of people from all over Angara who took the sea route from Kalay to Tolbi, and since the ship he was on right now was the only one that sailed through the Karagol Sea, it had been made to accomodate the needs of carrying many passengers at once.

But, looking at the amount of passengers that were aboard the ship beside himself, Lune concluded, the Colosso event was still far from taking place, or maybe it had already happened that year.

"Land ho!" A sudden voice energetically calls out from atop the main mast, catching everyone's attention. Looking up, Lune sees a sailor on the mast's top, looking at the crew and the passengers down on the deck with a grin, then turning his attention back on the sea ahead of the ship.

Curious, the Adept walks up to the ship's bow and scouts the horizon. He could indeed see land ahead of them, as well as what seemed like a port.

"Ah, those must be the Tolbi docks." He comments to no one in particular. Other passengers and some sailors had gathered on the bow as well. Kraden had told him that it would take about four days for the ship to reach its destination, but it only had taken less than three days. _'I guess having the wind on our side really helped.'_ He thinks with a smile. Everyone else was probably thinking the same.

Less than half an hour later, he was already retrieving his backpack from his room and disembarking the ship, politely bidding farewell to some of the sailors as he stepped out.

Tolbi and Kalay's docks weren't all that different. Both had a rather simple layout; they consisted of a building, where people could purchase their tickets, and a single pier constructed at the beginning of a small cliff, which extended about 20 metres. The ship had stopped right at the end of it.

As Lune leaves the pier and steps on solid ground, he pulls out his map and checks the route once more.

The Tolbi docks were at the western shore of the Karagol Sea, but the city itself was separated from the docks by a one-hour trip through a road that connected both. Once again, it was pretty similar to Kalay.

As he puts away the map and walks past the nearby building's front, something - or rather, someone - catches his attention as he turns around the corner.

He notices a woman waking right next to the building's wall, away from where he's standing. She's carrying a pink parasol, has long, blonde hair and wears a pink and purple dress. Her attire struck Lune as odd, as he hadn't seen anyone else around the place with such clothes.

Soon, she reaches the opposite corner and turns to head towards the back of the building, but stops for a few seconds, which gives Lune enough time to get a better look. She's wearing a white mob cap, and her dark purple eyes seem to look at him for a second before closing. A whimsical smile appears on her lips just as she resumes her walking towards the back of the building.

Feeling mildly curious, Lune follows her, but when he turns around the corner, he finds that the woman is nowhere to be seen.

_'I wonder who could that be...?' _He ponders as he starts walking towards the road that leads to Tolbi.

Little did he know that it wouldn't be the last time he would encounter that woman.

* * *

><p>To be continued...<p>

Lune was created by EncLun.

Golden Sun belongs to Camelot and Nintendo.


End file.
